If you shop at Publix and have a little one at home, you will want to check your pantry right away. Publix has just recalled its GreenWise Pear, Kiwi, Spinach & Pea Baby Food pouches because of possible lead contamination.
This specific pouch is part of the company’s organic baby food line and is sold across Publix locations in the United States. Publix says it discovered the potential contamination during routine product testing, which prompted them to pull the pouches from store shelves immediately.
According to the company, no illnesses have been reported so far, but the recall is a precaution to keep babies safe.
Which lots and products are affected in the baby food recall?
At this time, the recalled product is limited to the GreenWise brand Pear, Kiwi, Spinach & Pea pouch. If you have purchased this pouch, check the “Best By” date and lot number on the packaging. While Publix has not published the exact lot numbers publicly, the company recommends returning any of these pouches purchased recently just to be safe.
If you are unsure, the safest thing you can do is return the product to your local Publix store for a full refund, no receipt required.
Why is lead dangerous in baby food?
You may be wondering why even a small amount of lead in baby food is such a big deal. According to the FDA, “there is no safe level of lead exposure” for babies. Even low levels can affect brain development, behavior, and learning in infants and toddlers.
Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, put it bluntly: “There is no safe level of lead.”
Because of how fast a baby’s brain develops in the first few years, any exposure to toxic metals like lead can have lasting effects.
How can lead get into baby food?
Here is something that may surprise you—lead does not just sneak into baby food through chemicals. It can actually come from the soil where fruits and vegetables are grown or from the equipment used during manufacturing.
Even companies using organic ingredients, like GreenWise, are not completely protected from this kind of contamination. That is why testing is so important, and why more recalls like this are happening.
Jennifer van de Ligt, a former FDA baby food expert, says companies are becoming more proactive after the agency issued new voluntary limits for lead in baby food just last year.
Has the FDA issued an official warning?
Despite the potential danger, the FDA has not yet released a public alert about the Publix recall. This has raised concerns among food safety advocates.
Sorscher says official FDA alerts help bring more attention to serious issues, adding: “It increases the attention that stores and consumers give it, so that [a product is] more likely to be pulled off the shelf.”
This is now the second baby food recall for lead in just a few weeks, following a similar recall by Target in March.
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